Flexible connection.



FLEXIBLE GONNGTIO.

APPLIOA'lI-ON FILED SEPT. 1. 1905.

l STATES.' PATENrV OFFICE,

' ANDREW BENSON, Orf-CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

batteries, motors, dynamos, telephones, and

' for electrical instruments, electrothera eul ter more fully set forth .and specifically two or more tical apparatus, and the like-yet it is app icabl`e as a connection for or as a means of ilexibly uniting various other parts; and it consists in certain peculiarities ofthe construction, novel arrangement, -and o eration of the various parts thereof, as will e hereinaf-4 claimed.

. The principal object4 of the invention is to provideI a flexible connection of the abovenamed .character which sh'all'be ysim le and inexpensive in construction; strong, urable, and so made that it will not be affected by lvif brations and that the operation, of uniting parts for the conduction of electriclty or ot erwise may be more 'quickly and efficiently performed and. at less ex ense than by the meansheretofore employe and also to facilitate the act of parts. Another object is to provide'simple and efficient means for insulating the conductor which forms a part of the connection detaehing the -m such a manner that 'the insulation and f .scription and explanation.

conducting material will coperate with one and to more firmly or securely unite the parts to be connected. f

Other objects and advantages the -in vention willf'be disclosed inthe subjoined'de- In order to enable others-skilledin' the art to'which my invention pertains to make and it, referring' in whichto the accompanying drawings,- -Figure 1- is a perspective 'view of a connec- .tion .embodying .one form of my invention,A

showing the parts held in the hands ofthe operator and in the actof being joined. Fig. 2

section, of a part of the another to render the device more durable ings, the plugs onterminals 17, forming apart of the connection, aresl-ightly 'tapere toward ytheir free ends, so

'readily inserted-within the FLEXIBLE CONNECTION.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Appunti@ fue@ september 1, i905.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906. sum1 No. 276,687.'

is a fragmental view in elevation ofl the flexible part of the connection. Fig. 3 is ai crossseetional view thereof. Fi 4 is aA tive view of a terminal hea provide number of projections or terminals, flexible connections'secured thereto.

with a showing Fig. 5

. 1s a view in sideelevation of a modification in gerspece the construction of the flexible ortion ofthe connection, showin' it detac ed from its plug or terminal. section and fled form ustrated in Fi 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmental sectional view o ig.' 6 is a view, artly in artly in elevation, of t e modithe flexible art of the connection, showing another mod' ca-v tion in the construction. iFig. 8 is a crosssectionalview thereof. Fig. 9 is a view, partly in section and artly vin elevation, of still another modifie form of the exible portion of the connection.. Fig. 10`is an enarged view, partly in elevation and partly in ortion o f the flexible part and a ug shown in Fig. 1; and Fig; 1 1

is a longitu inal sectional view of portions of nection, showing al her modification in its construction.4

Like numerals of reference refer to corre-v sponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The referencefnulne'ral 15 designates .a

.tube of soft rubber in which is located and closely fitted laspirally formed wire 16, which when the device is used'for electrical .the iiexibl'e and inflexible parts of theconpurposes forms the electric conductor for the flexible, portion 4of the connection, andwhether used for electrical or other purposes servesl as a gripping or 'clamp' holder for the-stiff plug or terminal 17, whic is another part of the connection and which may b e .connected or secured at'its end opposite to that which is located in the free end of the wire coil 16 to any suitable devie'and many desired manne1! The opposite end of the coil 16 from thatwhich 1s connected to. the

-plug orterminal 17 may be connected to any 'suitable part andin any desired manner. use the same, -I will now proceed to ldescribe As shown in Figs. 1,4, and-10 of the drawlos ` the coil 16 and slightly turning the latter in the direction of the progress of the spirals in its end adjacenttothe plug it is apparent that the coil will be forced on the tapered portion of the plug, which operation will expand the coils, when by removing the pressure used for forcibly uniting the coil and plug it is apparent that the coils will contract, and as theyl lie spirally or diagonally around the plug that they will iirm-ly grip or clamp it, thus providing a stron connection, the parts ofl which may be rea `ly detached by again turning the coil in the above-named direction, whichy will again expand the coils so that the iiexible portion consisting of the tube 15l and Wire coil 16 may be removed from the plug. y

In Figs. and 6 of the drawings I have shown a modification in the construction of the connection, which consists informing the plugv or terminal 17a without the tapered free end, but of a size to fit snugly in the open end of the coil 16, which as in the construction just above described is covered by a rubber tube which4 has one of its ends enlarged, as at 18, to fit around a piece of insulation 19, through which is extended a conductor 20, which may be provided with a surrounding core 21 of the ordinary construction.

In this modification of the connection that portion of the coil 16 within the enlarged portion 18 of the tube is located so as to surround the projecting end of the conductor 20 and is secured thereto by means of solder 22, thus providing by means of the coil 16 and the tube 15a a flexible connection to receive the plug 17, which may be united thereto in the same manner as above described.

i.. In some instances I may embed the coil 16 in the tube 15, as shown in Figs, 7 and 8, which will form a stron flexible connection and which may be use as a conductor of electricity or for other purposes. In this modiiication .the manner of connecting the exible portion to the plug or stiff portion is the same as that above set forth, except that the plug will not come in direct contact with the Wire forming the coil 16 unless it is desired that said Wire ma be used as a conductor, when its ends may e exposed or suitably connected to the plug and electric wire.

In Fig 9 I have shown still another modification in' which the tube 15 is located within the coil 16, and in using this construction it is apparent that the terminal may be hollow to receive the wirecoil 16, which in uniting the same to the hollow plug should be turnedin the vdirection to contract the coils, so that when the force required to turn it is removed said coils will expand and engage the inner surface of the plug.

In Fi 1 1 is shown another modiiication in which t e wire coil 16 is located within the tube 15 and is almost entirely embedded therein, but has the inner surface of each of its coils exposed to contact with a plug or terminal 23, which may be hollow and inserted in the coil 16 in the same manner as rst above described in reference to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and Fig. 10. This last-named construction is articularly applicable for connections use where `it is desired to prevent leakage of air or water,

such as in hose-couplings or air-brake couplings, for it is evident that the portions 24 of the rubber interposed between the coils of heavsvire 16 will prevent the passage of the From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be readily understood and clearly seen that in each and all of the constructions shown and described the tube which I'have mentioned as being made of soft rubber, but which may be made of any other suitable material, will reinforce a spiral or coil and will yield therewith. A very important feature of my invention, and one that I wish distinctly understood, is that in each and all of the constructions the tube, whether made of rubber or other material, is permanentlyand integrally united to the coils of the spirally-formed wire, thus preventing the latter being pulled or removed from the tube and causing the twoto coact in the expansion', contraction, or extension of the ilexible part of the connection. In uniting the iiexible part of the connection to the plu or terminal it should be understood that t e pieces do not require to be screwed or turned several times upon one another, but that a very slight forward and lateral pressure or movement only is necessary, the'said lateral movement being in the direction of the progress of the spirals or coils, which operation, asI before stated, will expand the same, when by removing the pressure they will contract.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. A flexible connection consisting of a spirally-formed wire, a rubber tube surrounding the same and having a portion projectin beyond one end of the spiral, an insulate conductor extending into said projecting portion and electrically connected to the adjacent portion of the spiral, and a plu or terminal adapted to be inserted Vin an tof'engage the other end of the spiral, substantially as described.

2. A flexible connection consist' of a spirally-formed wire reinforced by a exible rubber tube vulcanized thereto, and a.plug or terminal to engage the end ofthe s iral by the expansion and contraction of the atter.

3. A iexible connection consisting of a spirally formed wire, a flexible tube surrounding the same and vulcanized thereto, and a tapered plug or terminal adapted to be IOO ITO

inserted" in one endA of the spiral and to en'- {tube and to contact vviith the exposed portion I gage tiefam l v f of the former. 4. 'exi ei connection consisting o a i soft-rubber tube, Vs, -spirally-formed Wire -vul- BENSON' 5 y'canized therewith and having a portion -ex- Witnesses:

posed, and'a, talpere'ld plug or termmaladapt- Cms. C. TILLMAN,

' ed to beoinserted in one end ofthe spiral and I M. A.. NYMAN. i 

